15-1: Management

The 15-1 Management
major is our flexible degree that allows students to either pursue a subject in
depth, explore an interdisciplinary problem and/or complement another
major.

The major in
Management gives students a broad exposure to management and business
topics. Students study foundational subjects including communications,
accounting, microeconomics, organizational processes, probability, and
statistics. Building upon this base, students are then able to tailor their
education towards either a deep dive in a specific subject area or an
interdisciplinary/cross-disciplinary concentration.

The major and minor in Management provide an innovative business education that is broad and flexible, grounded in quantitative strength through research-informed, practically applied teaching. Students employ rigorous analysis with effective communication in the classroom and apply these skills to their co-curricular and professional activities. Students are prepared to understand how their role and the knowledge they gain fits into the goals of their organization.

15-1 provides students
choices in how to prepare for their post-graduation plans while giving them a
strong foundation in the subjects necessary for success in a broad range of organizations
and companies.

The Undergraduate Education Office and Course 15
advisors will work with the students in creating a coherent concentration that
fulfills the students' academic interests and post-graduation goals.

5 Concentration Elective subjects
Students can select from a defined concentration or create their own tailored
concentration with the approval of their faculty advisor and the Sloan
Undergraduate Office. At least three of the concentration electives must be Course
15 subjects. Two six-unit subjects equal one elective.

3
General Elective Subjects
Three full subjects (two six-unit
subjects equal a full elective) from Course 15. UROP, Independent Study, or general-elective transfer credit may not be used. 14.01
may be used as an elective.

Collapse

Deciding What To Declare

Declaring 15-1

For those
who are interested in a career in the business world, perhaps as a consultant,
analyst, or entrepreneur, this major offers students a breadth of background in
business management while also permitting students to focus on an individualized
primary aspect of management. The curriculum aligns well with MIT's/Sloan's MBA
program, which allows students the unique opportunity to learn advanced
management as part of their undergraduate education.

For those
who choose 15-1 as part of a double major, 15-1 offers the flexibility for
students to select a concentration that complements their other major. For
example, if a student is interested in entrepreneurship within a particular
science or engineering field, the non-Course 15 major can guide students in
developing an idea for a new product, while the Course 15 major provides
background in business management with a focus toward entrepreneurship.

In order to
successfully address many of the big challenges in today’s world (including climate
change, energy management, healthcare delivery, economic inequality, water allocation),
we need interdisciplinary approaches. Management education and techniques play
important roles in addressing these problems; after completing the Course 15
coursework, undergraduate students will be in positions to find solutions to
big issues, work with organizations to bring ideas into action, and/or start
their own initiatives.

Collapse

15-1 with Concentration in Business Analytics or Finance

The
concentration in 15-1, which entails five electives, permits a student the
potential for greater depth of study than in our current major. In addition,
the choice of a concentration is more flexible than in our current major.

In creating
their own concentration proposal, the Undergraduate Education Office will
support students in finding faculty whose interests align with students’
academic and career aspirations. When possible, we assign students to faculty
advisors who match their interests. Regardless of advisor assignment, students
are encouraged to utilize Sloan and MIT faculty as resources to help guide
their education.

For students
in 15-1 who are interested in Business Analytics or Finance, there is an
opportunity to concentrate in those areas. The 15-1 major with a concentration
in Business Analytics or Finance is similar to the majors 15-2 and 15-3 with
the exception that 15-1 would have more management breadth and the majors would
have additional subjects in Business Analytics or Finance.

Collapse

Potential Course Sequence

15-1 Course Sequence

We recommend
students take 15.279 Managerial Communication early in the program, perhaps in
fall semester of the second year at MIT. We also recommend students take one or
both of their restricted electives in their second year at MIT or in the fall
of their third year. The restricted elective will help provide useful
background and perspective in defining their chosen concentration. Students
should take Probability prior to Statistics, as Probability provides
foundational understandings for Statistics.

If students are
deciding between 15-1 and 15-2 or 15-1 and 15-3, they can take subjects that
satisfy requirements in both majors, such as probability and statistics, before
deciding on which major to declare).

Students occasionally
want to know which subject will give them a good sense for the content of the 15-2
and 15-3 majors. For those interested in the 15-3 Finance major, we recommend
15.417 and 15.418. For students interested in 15-2 Business Analytics, there is
no single class that provides an overview for the variety of methodologies used
in this field. One possibility is for students to take 15.053 first, which helps
provide a sense for how math modeling approaches are used to solve managerial
decision problems.

Collapse

Careers

15-1 Careers

Students will continue to have great success finding internships and
jobs in business consulting as well as careers within functional areas of
management (Marketing, Operations, Finance and Strategy). The 15-1 major is
also well suited for students who want to become entrepreneurs. Students with a
double major in Management and an engineering field will be well-positioned after
a few years of experience to take a leadership role in their engineering
discipline.

When a
student decides on a concentration within 15-1, we will work with the student to
help select subjects that are well-suited for their choice of career(s) or
areas of interest.